Lost in Time
by Neko-chanXDemyx
Summary: Gajeel and Levy embark on a mission to discover the truth behind the disappearance of the dragons. However, what they find out may change their entire perception on what happened on 7/7/777. Rated for Language/Violence, Contains GaLe/Gajevy
1. Prologue: A Special Mission

**Prologue: A Special Mission**

* * *

"I have an important mission for you," the Master stated, a serious gaze in his eyes. Levy tilted her head, intrigued. Although these types of 'special missions' were far from being an uncommon occurrence, they were usually given to S-class mages or someone nearing their strength. Despite being given the opportunity to become an S-class mage, she was overwhelmingly aware of the fact that, without the aid of Gajeel, she wouldn't be anywhere near strong enough to win against her competing guildmates. That being said… why had the Master requested _her_, of all people?

"I've received word that some hikers recently discovered an abandoned sepulcher of sorts," he continued. He reached into his desk as he spoke, pulling out a small bundle of papers summarizing the mission and handing it to her. "Its entrance is hidden at the base of a Mount Naga in the Principality of Veronica. Most of the valuables appeared to have been ravaged by pillagers throughout the years. However, they have been able to uncover several books they were able to save with restorative magic. No one is able to decipher the language in these books, much less identify in what language these tomes were written."

Understanding dawned on the bluenette. _So this is why he sent for me…_ Still, another question remained. Her eyes skimmed the papers in her hands in search for the details of the mission, but before she found anything useful, the Master answered her silent inquiry.

"The reason this mission is so vitally important is because these books, along with the tomb itself, are supposedly related to the disappearance of the dragons. With our guild hosting three First-Generation Dragon Slayers, my goal is to discover as much as we can before another guild, or even a raid of bandits, tear this place up and destroy what remaining clues it may hold. You see why I might deem this mission is so imperative to our guild, correct…?"

"I understand," Levy nodded in acceptance. "I accept the mission."

"I figured you would," Master chuckled, but his gaze held somber. "I'm not sending you alone, however. With so much potential value in the information held in these books, it would be far too risky. As a result, I'm sending Gajeel with you. Not only should he be able to fend whatever enemies you may encounter, but his knowledge of dragons may be useful in helping you uncover the meaning behind the texts."

The bluenette struggled to hold her composure, but it proved difficult with the onslaught of emotions flooding her mind at the mention of her teammate for this mission. There was the initial alarm and fear, primarily resulting from her uncertainty of the situation. It wasn't as if it was the first time they had worked together, but she was much more familiar with her usual teammates, Jet and Droy. Trying to work with other people wasn't impossible, but it was always a bit more challenging. Even so, on top of all the uncertainty was a growing excitement. She mentally scolded herself for the illogical reaction, but the thought did little to settle the bubbling happiness at the thought of being able to work with the Iron Dragon Slayer once again.

Rather than linger in her mental turmoil, however, she turned her attention back to the guildmaster. "Does he know about this?"

"Not yet. I'll be briefing him on this shortly. In the meantime, I'd recommend gathering your things and preparing as you see fit. You two are to meet here tomorrow morning at 6:00 before departing. As this is a personal request, I will be in charge of paying you. With such a long journey ahead, I'll be giving the both of you 25% of your pay before your departure at that time. Unless you have any more questions, you are free to go."

Levy nodded once more, standing and giving a brief bow before exiting the guildmaster's office. Ignoring the mass of chaos erupting from the main hall and heading home to pack.

* * *

Pantherlily sat on the arm of a gray, slightly torn-up couch, reading a book. Despite the lack of actual furniture in the small apartment, it had a comforting atmosphere to it. The living-room connected to the kitchen with only so much as a change of flooring to indicate the separation of rooms. A series of counters and common appliances lined the furthest wall, all decorated in the same, creamy tan. Above sat a row of shelves holding a variety of various dishware and canned foods, as well as the occasional snack. The table was simple: round in shape and capable of seating four or more, although it was surrounded by only three wooden chairs.

Past that, the lame yellow tiling ended and switched to a soft-blue carpet, signifying the beginning of the living-room. Opposite of the kitchen was the front door, to the right of which was a single window, shaded by the gray-blue curtains shielding the room from the sun. On the wall adjacent was the couch holding the Exceed. It was short, and with the tears lining the bottom fabric, it had definitely seen better days. However, being the home of the notoriously cheap Iron Dragon Slayer, it was difficult to convince him that it may need replacing. After all, it still served its designated purpose as a seat and was therefore acceptable. On the opposite wall was an unattractive pile of scrap iron. Before the Exceed had taken residence, many more of its kind had littered the apartment, but with time he was able to convince his roommate to settle with the single heap. Although, convincing him to put it in a less obvious place was still an ongoing struggle. Next to the cluster was an average-sized bookshelf. Although most of the shelves contained remnants of the preexisting mounds of iron, a few tomes managed to find their home on its bottom shelves.

Next to the couch, the wall angled outward, creating a little crevice holding three doors. Closest to the kitchen was the bathroom, yellow in almost every aspect (including Gajeel's small collection of rubber ducks hidden under the bathroom sink.) Next to _that_ was Pantherlily's room. Inside was a single twin-sized bed covered in a large gray comforter and a single pillow. In his room was another bookshelf, taller than the previous and containing solely books.

The final room belonged to Gajeel. Centered against the furthest wall was a king-sized bed decorated in a few scattered sheets and pillows, all colored in the same dark shade of black. At the end of the bed was a large chest containing a variety of keepsakes and items treasured by the Iron Dragon Slayer, along with a few more cluttered pieces of scrap iron. Other than that and a single writing desk beside his bed, the room was vacant.

Lily looked up at the familiar creak of the front door. As he noticed the strange look on his teammate's face, he marked his page and set the book down.

"How did it go?"

Gajeel turned his gaze to his cat, though his attention appeared to be focused elsewhere. "I have a mission with the shrimp to look for some old books or sumthin'."

A smile formed on the exceed's lips. "Teaming up with your girl again?"

"She _ain't '_my girl,'" he growled in response, temporarily distracted from his thoughts, "but yeah. Apparently they may have something to do with my old man's disappearance."

The smile faded from Lily's face as he realized the true cause for the Dragon Slayer's disturbance. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Gajeel plumped down on to the couch beside his partner, gazing aimlessly at the ceiling.

"You looking forward to it?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, a frown pulling at his lips. "I ain't seen him in years. Honestly, I was angry at 'im for the longest time for abandoning me like that; I swore I'd never forgive him... but if I can find out the reasoning..."

"So you think this mission may help you come to terms with his desertion?"

"I guess." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration for a little longer before he relaxed with a long sigh. "I better get ready for tomorrow. I'm gettin' paid by how well I do getting the information back with the shrimp, so I ain't gunna let myself slip up. Plus, since they're makin' me get up at the crack of dawn, I'm going to go go to bed a little early."

"Alright. 'Night, see you in the morning," Lily called as the Dragon Slayer entered his room. Once the door was shut behind him, the exceed moved to return to his reading. However, his thoughts wandered, and upon reflection, determined that he should speak to the Master before his friend went off on this adventure without him.

* * *

**_This chapter has been beta-read by_ Catwho.**

* * *

**Neko-chan: How was it? Good? Bad? .; It's my first time writing anything Fairy Tail related, but I'm hoping this story will turn out decently. If you like it, let me know and I'll continue...! Until then, Ja ne~**


	2. Chapter 1: A Team Once Again

**Chapter 1: A Team Once Again**

"Where _is _that shrimp?" Gajeel growled irritably. The Iron Dragon Slayer currently sat at the Fairy Tail bar, leaning on his crossed arms resting on the surface in front of him. The clock hanging on the wall behind their bartender, Mirajane, appeared to be the sole object of his attention. Every minute his eyes would return to the ticking device currently reading 6:08, only to immediately growl and, once again, question the location of his blue-haired guildmate.

"Calm down," Lily sighed, flying over to sit on the bar and face his partner. "It hasn't even been ten minutes."

"We're supposed to be at the station by 6:30, and we haven't even gotten our damn money ye-"

"Sorry I'm late!" Levy burst through the guild doors, hair messily tied back in her favorite orange headband. On her back rested a bulky, blue backpack at least two-thirds her size. The young girl walked over to Gajeel, dropping the large pack on the ground and plopping down onto the barstool next to him. "I had to grab a few more extra books at the library before heading up to the guild," she relayed, struggling to catch her breath.

"Mavis, how many books do you _need_?!" The Dragon Slayer questioned. He and Lily exchanged looks of astonishment as they examined the bag which appeared to overflow with books.

"Well, I didn't know what language these tomes are going to be in, or what tools I may wind up needing to decipher it, and I wanted to be prepared… I just wound up bringing a little more than expected…" she trailed off sheepishly, a pink tint to her cheeks as she noticed the increasing number of appalled looks aimed towards her and her backpack.

"And you carried _all of that?_" Lily inquired with awe.

Gajeel reached down, grasping one of the straps on the bag and just barely lifting it off of the ground. "Holy shit! This thing weighs a ton! How the hell did you manage to carry this, shrimp?!"

"It was tiring, but it's not the first time I've carried these many books at once. How else would I get new reading materials to keep me occupied at home?"

"Yeah, but for this big of a trip? No way. Some of these have got to go."

"But what if I need one them?" Levy asked, beginning to panic as he lifted the bag. The Dragon Slayer ignored the comment and began to empty the contents of the pain pouch onto the bar in front of them. Each book landed on the wooden surface with a loud _thump, _and Levy struggled to save them from tumbling off and onto the floor. Once the mass had been completely ridded from the bag, Gajeel helped her organize them into three, neat stacks.

"Alright, shorty. Get it down to ten or less so we can get on our way.

"_Ten?!_" she exclaimed, "I have no idea what language these things are written in! Hell, it could even been a language no one has discovered yet. How do you expect me to translate ancient tomes in a potentially unknown language with just _ten books?!"_

"We can get ya' more books once we get there and you have a chance to check it out, but there is no way we are taking all of these," he retorted stubbornly, gesturing towards the stacks in front of them.

The bluenette huffed, reluctantly accepting the daunting task of limiting her resources to a measly ten books. A mental reminder of the promise of new reading material worked well for encouragement, however, and within a few minutes she had her ten selected. As she hesitantly and carefully placed the final book in her bag, Gajeel released a relieved sigh and rose to his feet. "Alright, ya' ready?"

"Yeah," she sighed, grasping the now much lighter bag. She then turned to the barmaid who had stopped to watch the amusing scene unfold. "Mirajane, would it be too much trouble for you to bring my books to my dorm when you head home?" she asked.

"Not at all! I'd be happy to drop them off," she agreed with a smile, beginning to gather the remaining books and placing them behind the bar. "If you're done, the Master is waiting for you in his room with your pay."

Levy gave Mira her thanks and turned to face Gajeel, but her gaze instead fell on Pantherlily, who now rested on top of Gajeel's shoulder with a small bag of his own resting on his back. "Are you going with us?" she inquired, tilting her head.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered, sharing a look with the Exceed. "I told 'im it wasn't necessary, but the cat wouldn't listen. He got permission from the Master this morning."

"I hope my presence won't be a bother," Lily admitted, a sheepish smile forming on his lips.

"Oh, no! Not at all!" she held her hands up defensively. "I just hadn't expected you to be coming along. I always love your company," she commented with a grin, reaching out and gently petting his head.

"Are you done yet, or can we get on with it?" Gajeel growled, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ah! Yes, sorry," she apologized. With that, the trio left to enter the Master's office one last time before their departure. Following a brief recap of the mission and distribution of their share of jewels, the group was on their way to the train station.

* * *

"Ugh…" Gajeel groaned, taking his seat across form Levy. After only half an hour on the train, his stomach had been unable to take the swaying motion of the train and forced the Iron Dragon Slayer to empty its contents into the on-board restroom.

"Feel any better?" Levy asked, concern embedded in her features.

"Hardly," he muttered, slumping down against the window in a sluggish manner. The two sat at a booth in a secluded room on the train, separated by the simple wooden table serving as a seat for Lily. The Exceed currently snacked on a single kiwi, a suspicious gaze aimed toward his partner perchance he suddenly feel the need to vomit once more. Levy eyed the man with more concern, not as used to seeing him in such a sick and weakened state.

"We could've had Wendy cast a Troia spell on you had you not been in such a rush to leave," Lily noted, taking another bite of his favorite fruit.

"We barely had any time left to spare after shorty finally got 'er shit together," he retorted with a scowl. Gajeel noticeably cringed as the train jerked around a corner, and every muscle tensed in a vain struggle against the rugged motion. As the ride smoothed out, he allowed himself to relax just a bit, finally taking note of the strange, yet urgent look Lily was directing towards him.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?" he snapped.

Lily's eyes flicked toward the direction of the Script Mage, and Gajeel's eyes followed suit. For the first time he noticed the sudden change in her demeanor. Her shoulders had slumped forward, and a grimace now painted her lips as she stared at her fidgeting hands, deep in thought.

Panic and confusions shot through Gajeel like electricity. He turned to Lily, eyes agape and seeking some insight from the wise Exceed.

"_Say something...!"_ he hissed the words almost silently through clenched teeth.

_"What the fuck am I supposed to say?!" _he hissed back angrily, panic and confusion enveloping him as he cast another worried glance to Levy.

_"Say you're sorry." _The quiet words carried the tone of a disappointed parent scolding a child.

The Iron Dragon Slayer's jaw dropped, clearly offended. What the hell had he done to be sorry for? He opened his mouth to snap that he hadn't done anything wrong, but the comment was bit back as his gaze fell on the obviously saddened girl across from him.

_"What am I supposed to say sorry for?" _he questioned silently, his hands clenched into a tight fist as he fought back his instinctive desire to refuse.

_"I don't know, take it back, say it wasn't her_ fault?"

_"But it wasn't the truth!"_

_"It was rude and it obviously hurt her feelings."_

Gajeel grimaced, struggling with the waves of nausea and utter confusion regarding what he should do. A low growl escaped his lips as he contemplated what he should be doing.

_"Gajeel!" _Pantherlily hissed impatiently, but before he could respond, the attention of the two males were immediately drawn to the almost inaudible whimper sounding from Levy. At he sight of her now hunched over, shoulders lightly shaking, all anger shifted into an alarming wave of confusion, worry and panic.

"Levy, I-...I didn't-.. I mean-" he struggled to find words to comfort her, the action seemingly foreign to the man. However, he was interrupted as she suddenly through her head back, hands clutching her stomach as she burst into a fit of laughter.

"I'm.. so... sorry..!" she practically wheezed in between spurts of laughter. "I'm sorry for making you late, but your face, you just looked so baffled!"

The Dragon Slayer shared a look with his partner, both blinking in confusion, neither sure what just happened.

After a few moments of wiping her eyes and catching her breath, she turned to Gajeel, an amused and sincere grin on her face. "I'm sorry for being troublesome and making you worry."

The motion caught him off guard, and he snapped his head to face the window in a desperate attempt to hide the sudden onslaught of emotions attacking him at the bookworm's smile and acknowledgement of his worry over her. "Tch, don't worry about it," he answered with a flustered scowl, still refusing to look at her. He knew that if he did, he'd be caught in her kind and apologetic smile, something few had ever directed to him. He knew that if he did, his face would turn that ridiculous shade of red that seemed to infect him so often when he was around her. He knew that if he did, he'd feel confused, lost, and unusually pleased, _all because of that goddamned smile. _

Levy's response was a simple giggle, and she turned to reach into the smallest pouch on the outside of her bag. Gajeel allowed a single eye to peak in her direction, curiosity getting the better of him. Her hand shuffled around the items inside, and her eyes lit up as she found the object she was looking for. Pulling out her magic pen, she began to write in the air, "_Solid Script Make: Iron Bismuth Alloy."_

His face shot forward, eyes alight with surprise and excitement as a large word of iron appeared on the surface between them. Although it was far from the size of the word created during the Tenrou incident, it was still large enough to cover around a third of the table. "Hopefully this will help get food back into your system and make up for making you late," she stated with a chuckle as he immediately begin to dig in. "Also, the bismuth alloy should help calm your stomach, at least for a while.

Gajeel simply replied with a brief nod, far too occupied with his meal to speak. This appeared to suffice for Levy as she lightly chuckled once more before digging into her bag, pulling out one of the books from her and beginning to read.

Lily watched the exchange with a bemused smile, shaking his head. For such a unique and obviously different pair of mages, the relationship they shared was amazing. Despite the awkward interactions and occasional bickering, their care for one another only appeared to be growing. He grew curious as he contemplated just how much the journey would affect his two, oblivious companions.

* * *

**_This chapter has been beta-read by _Catwho.**


	3. Chapter 2: Getting Cozy

**Chapter 2: Getting Cozy**

_"We will be arriving at Fernatica in a few moments," _came the peppy voice over the intercom. Gajeel groaned from his spot on the floor, hunched over the on-board toilet.

"Finally," he huffed, pulling himself to his feet. Levy's iron had served as a decent distraction, filling his stomach and keeping his mind off of the unnatural tug of the moving train, and when it finally stopped for a brief period upon passing the border into the Principality of Veronica, he was even able to catch some sleep. However, barely an hour had passed before he awoke with a start, jumping up to run to the restroom before emptying his stomach once again. Realization that sleep wasn't going to be returning any time soon convinced him to simply spend the remaining half hour in the small room. He had just gotten through with another one of his wonderful sessions of introducing the contents of his stomach to his porcelain friend when the relieving message sounded through the train.

He opened the door, stumbling out with shaking legs. _This motion-sickness is such a pain in the ass, _he thought, making his way back to the enclosed booth to retrieve his comrades. As he approached, his eyes fell on Pantherlily. His eyes sagged with sleep, but he appeared to be awake, nonetheless.

Then his eyes turned to Levy, the blue-haired mage laying, curled up in a ball, pressed against the back of the booth. Her hair had partially escaped the confinement of her headband in her sleep, and was now messily sprawled about. A thin, orange blanket lay loosely atop the Script Mage, making it possible for Gajeel to just barely see the rhythmic movement of her breathing beneath. With his naturally perceptive hearing, he listened to the captivating lull of her breathing. Gajeel was stunned. Something about the scene made every thought in his mind halt to a screeching stop. With a fascinated stare, a single word remained ever clear in his mind.

_Cute_."Eh-_hem," _the cough freed him of his trance, his head snapping back toward the Exceed. His small arms crossed, an eye brow raised as an amused grin grew to envelop his face.

"You were staring."

"No, I wasn't," he denied bluntly.

"Liar," Lily accused.

"Shaddup."

"So you admit it?"

"Like hell!" The Iron Dragon Slayer clenched his teeth. He couldn't understand why his cat seemed so determined to catch him paying attention to the bookworm. What was it he was trying to get at?

"Then what exactly was it that you were doing?" The Exceed questioned, his tone deceivingly inquisitional.

"I was going to wake 'er up," Gajeel smirked, arrogance returning with his honest excuse.

"You planning on doing that by staring at her?" The smile on Lily's face only grew.

"I wasn't starin' at her!" he growled, growing irritable.

"I don't believe you understand the semantics of 'staring.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Exactly."

The man growled, irritated with his cat's ridiculous words and unable to come up with a decent retort.

"You like her."

The accusation caught him off guard, setting his cheeks aflame, but the determinedly stubborn Dragon Slayer maintained a scowl. "Now you're starting to sound like that damned Salamander's cat."

"I'm merely stating an observation," he countered, "Although, I'm glad you didn't deny it, for once."

Gajeel visibly flinched, immediately answering with a roar, "I don't _'like'_ her!"

Their focus shifted as a grumble erupted from the girl in question. After sharing a look, the two turned and watched as she slowly sat up. The blanket sagged to her lap, and the headband completely detached itself from her disheveled hair. An anomalous frown had formed on her lips, and after a brief bout of rubbing her yes, she turned a rather bitter glare toward the taller male.

"Why are you _yelling...?_" she groaned. She leaned into her hand, pressing against the side of her face in an effort to keep from falling back asleep.

The taller mage gulped. "I... uh... we're almost there," he answered awkwardly, resulting in an amused eye-roll from the Exceed.

This elicited yet another churlish groan from the girl. With one, sluggish motion, she removed the blanket and rose to her feet, stretching into the walkway. Gajeel quickly backed into the empty booth across the aisle, realizing she was prepared to walk right into him should he remain in her way. She made her way to the adjacent booth where she had placed her items before falling asleep. Reaching into the front pouch, she pulled out a new set of clothing, pausing to stifle a yawn. Once she had the items bundled into a messy, yet compact pile, she made her way to the restroom without another word.

"She doesn't appear to be much of a morning person," Lily stated, puzzlement embedded in his features.

"I've seen worse," Gajeel shrugged.

"So have I. I see it almost every morning._" _The Exceed chuckled, dodging a joking blow from his partner.

"Ah, shut it." The two joked a little longer as they gathered their things together, preparing to exit the train. Within a few minutes, Levy came out of the bathroom to join them. Although her replies were short and frequently interrupted by a yawn, she lacked the same grumpiness that had infected her tone when she had first awoken. Gajeel attempted to poke fun at the shorter mage, pointing out her personality change in comparison to her usual cheer. When he received a fuming glare and a rather gruesome threat, he backed off in shock, and Pantherlily rolled with laughter. The reaction appeared to improve her mood, if just by the smallest amount. As the tension of the tired mage lifted, they finished packing their things, and prepared for their stop.

* * *

"_Woooow..." _The chorus of amazement sounded as the group gazed upon the suite, dropping their bags by the door. A short hallway led into a large, decorous parlor. Every square inch held the same, inviting sense of sophistication and authority. The furniture consisted of varieties of intricate designs made from only the finest of materials. A large lacrimavision lay mounted on the wall opposite of the sleek, charcoal sofa. This room divided into the kitchen with the barrier of a marble bar accommodating an assortment of aged wines. This wrapped around to entrap the corner of the kitchen area, molding into the various appliances that surrounded the large dining room table.

Pantherlily hopped off of Gajeel's shoulder, releasing his wings and flying forward to examine the furthest room lining the right wall. His comrades followed silently, still awestruck with their current surroundings. When they opened the door, their amazement only intensified. The luxurious features of the master bedroom captured their gaze. A beautiful dresser adorned the furthest wall, carved with intricate floral designs and topped with a grand, framed mirror. Various pieces of artwork illustrating cliché forms of scenery sat on every wall, the largest centered above the mattress. The jet-black, poofy comforter was covered in a heap of pillows, each case in some form of black and white pattern. Adjacent to the door that lead back to the hallway was stood yet another doorway. Lily lead the group in as they took turns admiring the sizable bathroom. A plethora of scented soaps and salts lay available for use, stationed on the sink across from the shower. On the opposite side, the smaller room connected to the other bedroom, only slightly less extravagant in comparison to its predecessor. As the group slowly made their way back around to the door.

"I can't believe they were willing to let us stay here for free," Levy pondered, gathering her belongings.

"This town appears to have a significant amount of respect for mages," Lily observed, following suit.

"Probably just eager to have someone finally take the books outta their hands. Seems like they've had an increase of bandits since the damned place was discovered," Gajeel noted, recalling the seemingly unreasonable number of guards they discovered the moment they stepped off of the train. He continued with a snort, "not that I'm complaining or anything."

"Still, it was incredibly generous of them to offer up their best suite for us to use while we're here. It's almost like a paid vacation," Levy countered, grinning at the thought.

"Oi, don't go getting all cozy and forget the real reason we're here," Gajeel warned.

Levy rolled her eyes, but ignored the comment otherwise. "So, who's rooming where?"

"I can sleep on the couch," Lily proposed.

"You sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all," he smiled, "I'm much more comfortable with the smaller space than most."

"Alright, Gajeel, which room do you want?"

"Tch, I don't care," he scoffed, "Take your pick. Both are a hell of a lot more fancy than anything I've ever slept in."

Levy hummed in thought, eyeing her two options. After a brief moment of contemplation, she answered, "You can have the main bedroom since the bed is a bit larger."

"Fine by me."

With that, the group began unpacking and distributing their belongings, making themselves better acquainted with their temporary home. As soon as they were settled in, Gajeel began making his way to the door. "Ready to check out this cave?"

"Tonight?" Levy questioned, appalled. "It's already dark out. Don't you think it'd be better to wait until tomorrow?"

"It's barely 6 o'clock, we got plenty of time!"

"I agree with Levy," Pantherlily interjected. "It'd be wise to wait until it's light outside and we've had time to adjust."

"What the hell are ya talking about? We've had plenty a' time to adjust. I'm ready to take on whatever bastard that gets in our way, so why don't-"

"Settle down," Lily interrupted the Dragon Slayer just as he began to crack his knuckles. "I know you're eager, but not all of us are as headstrong and dying to get in a fight. Why don't you just appreciate the little bit of time off and relax?"

Gajeel scoffed at the advice, unenthused with the concept of remaining idle for the rest of the night. However, he didn't argue, and instead turned to the kitchen. "Fine. What kinda food they got in this place?"

Levy walked the few steps into the kitchen area, and hummed in thought for a moment as she opened the refrigerator. "They have fruits, wine, and hard liquor, but other than that, we're on our own." She huffed, closing the door. "Looks like we'll have to stop by the store downsta-_what are you doing?!"_

The Script Mage was stopped short in her speech as the Dragon Slayer opened a nearby drawer and took a large bite of one of the available spoons provided by the hotel. "What?" he grumbled, chewing on the silverware. "They can afford to give away a load of booze and a free suite, they won't miss a few utensils." He took another bite, finishing up his spoon and grabbing another before moving to sit on the sofa beside Pantherlily.

The bluenette let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head before grabbing an apple and a glass of water. She made her way to the couch, sitting by Gajeel as he turned on the Lacrimavision. The group enjoyed the remainder of the evening in each other's company, watching stupid shows and chatting casually. A few hours passed this way before, one by one, they moved to their designated sleeping arrangements and left the night to a dream-filled slumber.

* * *

**Neko-chan: With luck, I'll be able to move on to the first big plot point within the next chapter. For now, I thank you all for your patience! **


End file.
